Freely Sharing All Things Golf!

My 1000th Post to The Grateful Golfer

Today is an amazing day. This is my 1000th post to the Grateful Golfer. I started this blog exactly 1654 days ago and never thought it would last this long. I have written about all kinds of golf topics and believe that the information provided has improved over the years.

I thought that on this special day, it is important to retell my story and re-confirm the goals behind The Grateful Golfer.

Golf is an amazing sport that has secret healing powers! It is a sport that provides that rare opportunity for self-improvement, personal growth, and introspection all at the same time. After 40 years, I continue to learn new aspects of the game and my life every time I tee it up.

In 2009, I was diagnosed with cancer and started the most important journey of my life. Fortunate to have my wife (who is also my best friend) by my side, we endured three years of treatment and continually strove to make positive changes to all aspects of our lives. Today, I can proudly say that I am a cancer survivor and continue to improve the three feet of space around me.

During my three years of treatment, there were many dark days that occupied my thoughts. This is when the healing powers of golf played a significant role in my recovery. Nearing the end of my treatment, I decided to embark on a journey of writing and positive growth through this golf blog.

In May 2012, The Grateful Golfer was launched. My intent was to talk about the positive aspects of golf, interact with like-minded golfing fanatics, and to have a constructive exchange about all things golf. The Grateful Golfer has morphed over the years, but the main goal of improving my mental strength continues to expand.

As The Grateful Golfer grows, I strive to freely share tips, drills and positive views about this fantastic sport. Fortunately, I love playing, talking, watching, and reading about golf; so follow along and feel free to share your thoughts!

I want to thank everyone who reads, comments, and shares the musing of my site. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Lastly, I hope that in some small way what your read here helps to improve your golf game.

Congratulations on your first thousand!
I always enjoy reading your posts. Whether it is pause for reflection, insight or observation you bring cheerful and intelligent contributions. Personally, I sincerely appreciate all the support you have provided to me with my blog, it means a lot. Glad you’re healthy and well. Here’s to a great off season. Thank you.

You are too kind! I am glad you are enjoying The Grateful Golfer! I hope to continue for quite some time. I also enjoy reading your articles; it brings a new perspective to my game that I sometimes over look. Here is to a quick off-season!

All the best and wishing you continued health. ( PS: I was dire at the weekend lol, My driving which had been in-consistent was superb however i just couldn’t find the focus for my putts, 3 putted on 4 holes made 3 15 ft putts and missed 3 from less than 2 feet..)..

I do have a question for you & anyone else to answer: On sat i am in a stableford Cup comp however it is a 4 club challenge ( 3 clubs and a putter ) my question is this > which 3 would you take? , initially my thoughts are Rescue ( for driving and long approach ) , 8 Iron for the par 3’s and chipping and a Sand wedge for chipping around the green and trouble?…

Personally, I would play to my strengths and I think you should as well. I would take my 3 wood, 6 iron and PW. With those three clubs I can make just about any shot. The 3 hybrid is a good idea if you can hit it about 210 or farther. I think the 6 iron can play any shot or more than an 8 and the PW can be used for any chip around the green. Those are my thoughts. Let me know how you make out and which clubs you choose.

For me, I’ll skip the three wood because it’s only good to me off the tee. I hate hitting it off the ground even after 15 years of practicing that shot and would rather hit my 3 iron any day or just think lay up. So my choice would be the 4 iron because I kill it off the tee at about 220 most days and manage 190-200 off the deck and I make less mistakes with it than the other larger clubs I own. Plus it’s a club I hit well out of trouble areas. Then the 7 iron. It’s my best buddy and I’ve used it many times to bend it around things or punch it under one tree and over another. A normal swing with that is about 155-165. And finally the pitching wedge because I think I have practiced more with that from different distances more often than any club in the bag and I have faith in it from 50 out to 130 or so.

Once you decide your best spread, then you just have to remember to play to your clubs rather than a distance you might normally aim for. It’s a lot easier to hit close with a normal swing you’ve practiced than some off speed swing you haven’t.

Best of luck and I hope you find this helpful. I’ve never played with just 3. Sounds like a challenge I’d enjoy though. Let us know how it goes.

I went with my Rescue, 8 Iron and 56 Wedge.
Front nine i went round in 1 under Par and back nine i was 1 over till the 12th then i passed out on the tee .. sigh..carried off the course , exhaustion and a stomach virus.. so been in bed for 4 days resting…feeling better now.
But i will say i actually found playing with fewer clubs easier?..how strange i played to my distance better and plotted my round with better accuracy…maybe i should carry less?!…